President Ruto has directed that all learners should report to school starting on Friday January 23, 2026, reiterating that no child should stay at home because of lack of school fees.

Speaking at Kinoru Stadium in Meru County during the disbursement of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) funds to beneficiaries from Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties, President Ruto asserted that education remains his administration’s top priority and that every child deserves an opportunity to access quality learning.

He ordered all provincial administrators to facilitate the directive, noting that the government had set aside sufficient funds for the first term.

“There is sufficient money for our children to be taught in the first term, so every child, with or without uniform and school fees, should report to school tomorrow morning,” he said.

“I want all chiefs, assistant chiefs and members of provincial administration. Every child must report to school tomorrow morning because we have provided the money to teach our children.” the president added.

Ruto stated that the government disbursed a capitation of Ksh.44 billion towards education and that no learner should stay at home due to lack of school fees.

“Every child, whether they have school fees or not, whether they have uniforms or not, should go to school. Education is important and we want every Kenyan child to have the opportunity to learn,” Ruto said.

He said the transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum should not be crippled by financial challenges, adding that the government remains committed to ensuring a smooth and flawless implementation.

During an interview on Wednesday January 21, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba explained that 85 per cent of eligible learner have enrolled to senior secondary schools, leaving roughly 15 per cent yet to report.

CS Ogamba attributed the 15 per cent transition gap from grade 9 to grade 10 to parents seeking changes in school placements.

“There are a few issues that led to the 15 per cent of learners who did not transition, such as parents wanting to move learners from the schools they were allocated to different schools,” CS Ogamba said.